


Chance Encounter

by CWMaddy



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Disabled Character, Earth 2 is basically just a happier version of Earth 1, Episode: s02e13 Welcome to Earth-2, Hartley is a babe, M/M, Vague mentions of Hartmon, doppelgangers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-13
Updated: 2016-02-13
Packaged: 2018-05-20 05:58:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5994016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CWMaddy/pseuds/CWMaddy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I'm sorry, I should've been paying more attention to where I was walking." Hartley said, straightening out his dark green, collared shirt. </p><p>Cisco couldn't help it, and he groaned out loud in annoyance, rolling his eyes. "I'm sure you are so remorseful, Hartley." He instinctively quipped, completely forgetting that this wasn't the Hartley he knew. </p><p>Hartley furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Have we met?" He asked. </p><p>OR </p><p>Cisco meets Earth Two's very own Hartley Rathaway. Confusion and awkwardness follows.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chance Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfiction is inspired by [this tumblr prompt](http://yesmaddyyyposts.tumblr.com/post/139203402547/all-this-talk-about-e1-hartley-meeting-e2-cisco) right here. It's my tumblr, and it's my prompt. But nonetheless, a prompt. Enjoy!

Cisco sighed as he walked the familiar but unfamiliar halls of S.T.A.R. Labs. He wouldn't get lost, this was something he was sure of, he knew the Labs like he knew the back of his hand. But the differences between his S.T.A.R. Labs and this one were obvious. Everything was so much brighter here, and he hadn't seen the place so full of people in over two years. Everyone was smiling, there was excitement and wonder in the their eyes. Pure joy and happiness. 

Earth 2 itself was a happier, genuinely better version of Earth 1. Even with Zoom striking fear in the city's heart, the citizens of Central City seemed to be stuck in an age of smiles and laughter. That might just be the surface of it all, a mask so to speak, but at least it was there. It made Cisco wonder if Star City was more pleasant as well. 

He knew that Harry disapproved of Cisco walking around, only God knew who might recognize him and mistake him as Earth 2's Cisco. That's another thing that was better about this earth, everyone seemed to know each other. Even if they didn't, they all treated each other as if they were old friends meeting up after being apart for years. It was a refreshing change from the outright uncivil people he could encounter in his world. 

To be honest, Cisco didn't know why he was walking around; risking being exposed to Zoom. All he knew was that he couldn't take one more minute of being stuck at that work bench with Harry asking him if he was making any progress every other second and this earth's Barry in the other room, begging to be released. He needed a moment (or ten) to calm down and process everything that was going on. 

Lost in his chaotic thoughts of how he was going to fix his goggles in time, whether or not Barry's plan was going to work, and how any of this was going to play out in their favor, obviously he had to collide with someone walking in the opposite direction. Cisco stumbled, and the person he bumped into tripped over his own feet; falling to the ground. It was unlike Cisco, but he really didn't feel like helping the man up.

He was still in his own head, only mumbling an unenthusiastic "Sorry" before side stepping the man. He was about to keep on walking, but that was when the man he bumped stood up. Dusting himself off, the man shot a forgiving smile at Cisco, who currently had a clear look at the man's face. What Cisco saw stopped him cold in his tracks. With the way Cisco's day has been going, of course he would run into _him_. 

"I'm sorry, I should've been paying more attention to where I was walking." Hartley said, straightening out his dark green, collared shirt. 

Cisco couldn't help it, and he groaned out loud in annoyance, rolling his eyes. "I'm sure you are _so_ remorseful, Hartley." He instinctively quipped, completely forgetting that this wasn't the Hartley he knew. 

Cisco expected Hartley's cheerful mask to slip then, and for him to retort back with an insult on Cisco's hair or choice of clothing. But instead, Hartley just furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Have we met?" He asked, seeming genuinely curious. 

Cisco looked down at his shoes, grumbling about how no, they had never met each other. Not exactly, anyway. Cisco had had the unfortunate opportunity to meet Hartley, but not this particular version. Hartley then replied, somewhat embarrassed, "Uh, could you repeat that? You were talking really quietly and I couldn't read your lips." 

That was when Cisco noticed it. Hartley was wearing hearing aids. The devices were see-through, wrapping around the backs of his ears and disappearing into the canal. When Hartley caught Cisco staring at them, he cleared his throat anxiously. 

Cisco snapped out of his trance, and said, "No, we've never met personally before. I'm Cisco," he offered his hand to Hartley, and to his surprise, Hartley returned the gesture and they shook hands. 

"Hartley Rathaway. But you seem to have already known that," Hartley chuckled, obviously still wary of Cisco. 

"Are you deaf?" Cisco found himself asking, and he mentally kicked himself. Who uses that as a conversation starter? Oh well, he was probably never going to see this Hartley again, anyway. There was no need to make the perfect impression.

Hartley shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably, no doubt thrown off guard by such a straight-forward question. "Hard of hearing, actually. I was born with sensorineural hearing loss." 

There was short beat of silence between the two. "So, Cisco, what brings you to S.T.A.R. Labs?" Hartley asked, changing the subject in an effort to make a less tense conversation.

"Just a personal vacation, I guess." Cisco partially lied. This whole issue with Zoom was personal, but it was most certainly not a vacation. 

"That's nice. Do you live in the city?" Hartley continued; he was sincerely interested in what Cisco had to say, which was a first. 

"Uh, no. No, I don't....live in this particular city." Cisco stammered. What was it about this Hartley that made him so nervous? The other Hartley just pissed him off, but this one was so polite and smiley-like. It was creepy. 

Hartley nodded, but didn't say anything more. The conversation came to a standstill (again) and Cisco got a text message. It was from Harry.

 **Where are you?** The message read. 

The question was innocent enough, but Cisco could feel Harry's frustration through the phone. 

**Was taking a short walk. Heading back now.**

"I have to go, sorry." Cisco told Hartley. This Hartley, who had been patiently waiting for Cisco to speak, and who hadn't made a single remark on Cisco's appearance, or voice, or called him any hurtful nicknames. This Hartley, who was smiling radiantly at him and had eyes that glowed with life. 

"No worries. I better get back to work, anyway. It seems that Dr. Wells has returned from his vacation, and it wouldn't look good if I appeared to be slacking on his first day back." Hartley worked at S.T.A.R. Labs. _Of course he did._

"It was nice meeting you, Cisco." Hartley gave him one more brilliant smile, and they parted ways. 

It freaked Cisco out a little bit, seeing this version of Hartley. He was jut so carefree, so open to conversation with even virtual strangers. He was social. He would never admit it, but Cisco was kind of going to miss talking with someone that was as naturally upbeat as this earth's Hartley Rathaway. He wanted to know more about him. What was so much better in this Hartley's life that made him completely opposite of the Hartley Cisco knew back home?

When Cisco returned to Harry's office, he barely payed any attention to the man's lecture about wandering off and risking the whole mission. Instead, while he worked, he thought about Hartley. His smile, his laugh that didn't have a hint of cruelty, his voice that was completely void of any sarcasm at all. The man just wouldn't stray from Cisco's thoughts. And surprisingly, Cisco was okay with that. So if he looked up all he could find about the young Rathaway while he built a weapon to dampen Killer Frost's powers, well, no one else had to know.

Besides, it didn't matter. He was never going to see this Hartley again, anyway. It was an accident that they even met in the first place, and it wouldn't happen again. They were both going to get on with their _completely separate_ lives, and would eventually forget this chance encounter. That's how it worked in the movies, so that's how it was going to happen here. Right?

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted this fanfiction to be as realistic as possible when it came to Hartley's partial deafness, so I spent a whole of 20 minutes researching about different disabilities involving hearing loss. So for all you non-genius and PhD wielding readers, here is some information on Sensorineural Hearing Loss: 
> 
> Sensorineural hearing loss is a problem or series of problems occurring in the inner ear. Sensorineural hearing loss in young children can be caused by certain infections before birth, from a lack of oxygen during birth, or from genetic causes. Sensorineural hearing loss usually cannot be cured with medicine or surgery, but hearing aids can help in many/most cases. 
> 
> Usually people with partial hearing loss continue to rely on their spoken (or written) language as their primary mode of communication, though some hard of hearing people do use sign language or Cued Speech as a supplementary support.
> 
> And there you have it. Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
